Prize Recipient

Jun Akimitsu
Aoyama-Gakuin University

Citation:

"For the discovery of high temperature superconductivity in non-oxide systems."

Background:

Jun Akimitsu received an undergraduate degree from the University of Tokyo in 1965 and a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 1970. From 1970 to 1976 Akimitsu was a Research Associate at the Institute for Solid State Physics at the University of Tokyo. Since 1982 he has been a professor at Aoyama-Gakuin University. Since 1998 he has also been Dean of the Center for Advanced Technology, Aoyama-Gakuin University.

Akimitsu opened up new chapter of superconductivity fever by announcing his surprising discovery of superconductivity in MgB2 (Tc=39K) at beginning of the 21st century. Since the discovery of MgB2, he has found over 10 superconductors in non-oxide systems including unexpectedly high-Tc superconductor Y2C3 (Tc=18K). Recently, he discovered superconductivity in B-doped SiC, of which superconducting properties can be described as type-I superconductor. Now, he is opening up newer chapter of superconductivity fever focusing non-oxide systems of which bond transforms into band.